Gone With the Wind (and the Pollen)

In Dunedin, it was 27°C yesterday, and today it’s 13°C. Honestly, it’s hard to know what to wear! 🧥

More seriously though, changeable spring weather can play havoc with your lungs, especially when it’s coupled with pollen. At this time of year, there is a lot of grass pollen around, with ryegrass pollen being a regular offender. 🌾

Ryegrass pollen is about 35 µm in diameter and gets caught in your nose and throat lining. The pollen releases proteins that trigger your body to mount an immune response. Classic symptoms of hay fever can result. This can be even more problematic for people who are already immunocompromised, as additional inflammation and phlegm can mean greater susceptibility to pathogens.

Zestt Breathe+ is designed to help your lungs in this scenario by reducing the inflammatory response. I once heard quercetin described as “nature’s antihistamine,” which I thought was a great description, but not entirely accurate, as quercetin has a different mechanism of action:

💊 Antihistamines work downstream, blocking histamine from docking onto its receptors once it’s been released
🍎 Quercetin works further upstream, steadying your mast cells so they release less histamine in the first place
🤝 Quercetin also teams up nicely with zinc, helping ferry it into your cells
💜 The anthocyanins from blackcurrants add to the anti-inflammatory support.

On top of that, regular use of oral probiotics, in the form of BLIS K12™ in the Zestt Breathe+ lozenges, can reduce pathogen attack and help you to ward off any new infections.

📊 Hay fever by the numbers

🌿 1 in 5 Kiwis have hay fever.
🦘 1 in 4 Australians have hay fever.
🤧 Our long grass pollen season is part of the problem!